Draft Genome Sequence Of A Community-Associated Methicillin- Resistant Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Positive Staphylococcus Aureus Sequence Type 30 Isolate From A Pediatric Patient With A Lung Infection In Brazil,
2015
Santa Clara University
Draft Genome Sequence Of A Community-Associated Methicillin- Resistant Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Positive Staphylococcus Aureus Sequence Type 30 Isolate From A Pediatric Patient With A Lung Infection In Brazil, Craig M. Stephens, Paul Jang-Yeon Cho, Veronica Afonso De Araujo, Ivete Martins Gomes, Selma Maria De Azevedo Sias, Claudete A. Araújo Cardoso, Lee W. Riley, Fábio Aguiar-Alves
Biology
The sequence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain B6 (sequence type 30 [ST30], spa type t433, staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec element [SCCmec] type IVc, Panton-Valentine leukocidin [PVL] positive), isolated from a pediatric patient with a lung infection in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is described here. The draft genome sequence includes a 2.8-Mb chromosome, accompanied by a 20-kb plasmid containing blaZ and two small cryptic plasmids.
Characterization Of The Replication Of Coxsackievirus B3 With A Mutationally Disrupted Cre(2c) And The Use Of Creatinine-Hydrochloride As An Antibacterial Agent,
2015
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Characterization Of The Replication Of Coxsackievirus B3 With A Mutationally Disrupted Cre(2c) And The Use Of Creatinine-Hydrochloride As An Antibacterial Agent, Shane E. Smithee
Theses & Dissertations
Following natural or experimental infection, and in cell culture, coxsackie B virus (CVB) RNA can persist for weeks in the absence of CPE yet with detectable viral RNA. Earlier studies in our laboratory demonstrated that this persistence produced viral RNA with up to 49 nucleotide deletions at the 5’ genomic terminus, partially degrading the cloverleaf (or domain I), an RNA structure that is required for efficient viral replication. A cis-acting replication element (CRE) in the 2C protein coding region [CRE(2C)] templates the addition of two uridine residues to the virus-encoded RNA replication primer, VPg, prior to genomic replication. Because …
Role Of The C-Terminus Of The Catalytic Subunit Of Translesion Synthesis Polymerase Ζ (Zeta) In Uv-Induced Mutagensis,
2015
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Role Of The C-Terminus Of The Catalytic Subunit Of Translesion Synthesis Polymerase Ζ (Zeta) In Uv-Induced Mutagensis, Hollie M. Siebler
Theses & Dissertations
Cellular DNA is under constant attack by endogenous and exogenous DNA damaging agents that threaten genome integrity. Unrepaired DNA lesions often stall replicative DNA polymerases and are bypassed by translesion synthesis (TLS) to prevent replication fork collapse. TLS mechanisms are lesion- and species-specific, with prominent roles of specialized DNA polymerases with relaxed active sites. After incorporation of nucleotide(s) across from the lesion, the distorted primer termini are typically extended by DNA polymerase ζ (Pol ζ). As a result, Pol ζ is responsible for most DNA damage-induced mutations. Mechanisms of sequential polymerase switches and regulation of Pol ζ access to DNA …
Suitability Of Great South Bay, New York To Blooms Of Pfiesteria Piscicida And P. Shumwayae Prior To Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2012,
2015
CUNY Hunter College
Suitability Of Great South Bay, New York To Blooms Of Pfiesteria Piscicida And P. Shumwayae Prior To Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2012, Pawel Tomasz Zablocki
Theses and Dissertations
Pfiesteria piscicida and P. shumwayae are toxic dinoflagellates implicated in massive fish kills in North Carolina and Maryland during 1990s. A set of physical, chemica l, and biological factors influence population dynamics of these organisms. This study employs i nformation gathered from relevant literature on temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbulent mixing, and dissolved nutrients, bacteria, algae, microzooplankton, mesozooplankton, bivalve m ollusks, finfish, and other toxic dinoflagellates, which influence Pfiesteria population dynamics. The research focused on whether conditions in the Great South Bay, Long Island, New York were suitable to blooms of Pfiesteria species prior to the passage of superstorm …
You Don’T Have To Go Home But You Carrot Stay Here: Root-Knot Nematode Biological Control In Carrots,
2015
Purdue University
You Don’T Have To Go Home But You Carrot Stay Here: Root-Knot Nematode Biological Control In Carrots, Casey R. Martin, Sahar Abdelrazek, Lori A. Hoagland
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Root-knot nematodes cause tens of billions of dollars in damages annually in agricultural production. The enormous economic losses brought about by nematodes, combined with the downsides to current methods for handling them, have led to an increased focus in understanding natural plant defense mechanisms and finding alternative methods to lessen the damage done by root-knot nematodes. Endophyte biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma harzianum have shown promise in reducing nematode damage. Recent studies have demonstrated that soil management practices and plant genotype can influence endophyte community structure, but it is unclear whether such differences influence susceptibility to nematode damage. This study …
A Novel Synthetic Yeast For Enzymatic Biodigester Pretreatment,
2015
Purdue University
A Novel Synthetic Yeast For Enzymatic Biodigester Pretreatment, Tianyu Tan, Mark S. Aronson, Arren Liu, Jill H. Osterhus, Melissa Robins, Suraj Mohan, Erich Leazer, Bowman Clark, Alexa Petrucciani, Katherine Lowery, James Welch, Casey Martin, Helena Lysandrou, Michael E. Scharf, Jenna Rickus
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Lignin, a complex organic polymer, is a major roadblock to the efficiency of biofuel conversion as it both physically blocks carbohydrate substrates and poisons biomass degrading enzymes, even if broken down to monomer units. A pretreatment process is often applied to separate the lignin from biomass prior to biofuel conversion. However, contemporary methods of pretreatment require large amounts of energy, which may be economically uncompelling or unfeasible. Taking inspiration from several genes that have been isolated from termites and fungi which translate to enzymes that degrade lignin, we want to establish a novel “enzymatic pretreatment” system where microbes secrete these …
Weak Interactions Between Salmonella Enterica Flhb And Other Flagellar Export Apparatus Proteins Govern Type Iii Secretion Dynamics,
2015
Kennesaw State University
Weak Interactions Between Salmonella Enterica Flhb And Other Flagellar Export Apparatus Proteins Govern Type Iii Secretion Dynamics, Jonathan L. Mcmurry, Tohru Minamino, Yukio Furukawa, Joshua W. Francis
Faculty Articles
The bacterial flagellum contains its own type III secretion apparatus that coordinates protein export with assembly at the distal end. While many interactions among export apparatus proteins have been reported, few have been examined with respect to the differential affinities and dynamic relationships that must govern the mechanism of export. FlhB, an integral membrane protein, plays critical roles in both export and the substrate specificity switching that occurs upon hook completion. Reported herein is the quantitative characterization of interactions between the cytoplasmic domain of FlhB (FlhBC) and other export apparatus proteins including FliK, FlhAC and FliI. FliK and FlhAC bound …
Hydrologic Modeling Of The Effects Of Stormwater Runoff In Plaster Creek Watershed,
2015
Calvin University
Hydrologic Modeling Of The Effects Of Stormwater Runoff In Plaster Creek Watershed, Ryan Degroot, Julie Wildschut, Robert Hoeksema
Student Papers and Reports
No abstract provided.
Installation Of Rain Gardens In The Alger Heights Community,
2015
Calvin University
Installation Of Rain Gardens In The Alger Heights Community, Wesley Dykstra, Dena De Kryger, Mike Ryskamp, David P. Warners
Student Papers and Reports
No abstract provided.
The Effect Of Environmental Selection Pressure On The Rate Of Recombination To An Advantageous Receptor Mutation In Bovine Coronavirus,
2015
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
The Effect Of Environmental Selection Pressure On The Rate Of Recombination To An Advantageous Receptor Mutation In Bovine Coronavirus, Gavin Schroter, Sally Hall, Mona Hwang, Monica Borucki
STAR Program Research Presentations
Bovine Coronavirus (BCoV) is an important analogue in understanding the effectiveness of zoonotic, single-stranded, positive sense RNA viruses. Many of the most recent viral outbreaks have been attributed to RNA viruses that have one, or more, animal reservoirs [1]. BCoV is such a great candidate for studying these types of viruses because they are from the family Coronaviridae, which also contains the viruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The goal of this study was to observe changes in genetic makeup of the virus’ outer membrane Spike protein via recombination between two …
How Many Particles Are Present In The Air? Bioaerosol Detection Using An Air Particle Counter,
2015
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
How Many Particles Are Present In The Air? Bioaerosol Detection Using An Air Particle Counter, Angie Pamela Rivera, Parag Vaishampayan
STAR Program Research Presentations
Relative cleanliness in terms of particle abundance in spacecraft assembly facilities is determined by particle counts carried out in clean rooms during resting conditions. Particle counters assess total particles and particle size distribution, but do not distinguish inert particles from biological particles, which may include bacterial spores that are resistant to standard cleanroom sterilization procedures. Current cleanroom certifications do not fully assess the effects of human presence on spacecraft contamination since humans are known symbionts to enumerate microorganisms and assessments are performed at rest when there is no human presence. In this study, contamination risks and bioburden in spacecraft assembly …
Collecting Diverse Microorganisms From Rover Spacecraft,
2015
Chicago State University
Collecting Diverse Microorganisms From Rover Spacecraft, Jennifer I. Jacobs, Arianna Jefferson, Heidi Aronson, James Tan, Wayne Schubert, Parag Vaishampayan
STAR Program Research Presentations
. The Planetary Protection discipline at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory develops and implements procedures to prevent both forward and backward contamination between the Earth and solar system bodies. However, there will always be some microorganisms that will be resistant to the strictest of sterilization methods. In order understand the microorganisms found on spacecraft during assembly, and to rapidly identify them, a mass spectrometry approach was developed. As an experimental approach, a custom database was created for a subset of microorganisms in the Planetary Protection Archive. In order to make the database as accurate and efficient as possible, several different procedures …
Relationships Between Growth Rate And Gene Expression In Ruegeria Pomeroyi Dss-3, A Model Marine Alphaproteobacterium,
2015
Clemson University
Relationships Between Growth Rate And Gene Expression In Ruegeria Pomeroyi Dss-3, A Model Marine Alphaproteobacterium, Nattasha Vinas
All Theses
Microbes are important contributors to ecosystem processes such as biogeochemical cycling. Their activities vary, depending on environmental parameters such as carbon type and concentration, temperature, and salinity. Current estimates of in situ microbial growth is limited to gross estimates or rely on incubation based methods that disturb the natural state of the community. The goal of this master’s thesis is to develop molecular methods to directly assess microbial growth rates in the environment at the level of a taxonomic group. Here we grew Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 under different temperatures (15 °C or 30 °C) and different carbon sources (yeast extract/tryptone, …
Investigations Of Filarial Nematode Motility, Response To Drug Treatment, And Pathology,
2015
Western Michigan University
Investigations Of Filarial Nematode Motility, Response To Drug Treatment, And Pathology, Charles Nutting
Dissertations
More than a billion people live at risk of chronic diseases caused by parasitic filarial nematodes. These diseases: lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and loaisis cause significant morbidity, degrading the health, quality of life, and economic productivity of those who suffer from them. Though treatable, there is no cure to rid those infected of adult parasites. The parasites can modulate the immune system and live for 10-15 years. Testing of compounds against filarial nematodes is complicated due to a lack of an objective platform on which to analyze in vitro treatments. There is no published, immunocompetent laboratory model for lymphatic filariasis. This …
Prevalence Of A Chytrid Pathogen (Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis) In Eastern Hellbender Salamanders In New York And Pennsylvania,
2015
SUNY Buffalo State University
Prevalence Of A Chytrid Pathogen (Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis) In Eastern Hellbender Salamanders In New York And Pennsylvania, Linxuan Wu
Biology Theses
Amphibian populations are currently declining globally. There are many possible causes for these declines, among which an emerging infectious disease, chytridiomycosis, has been implicated. Chytridiomycosis in the U.S.A. is mainly caused by the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. In this study, I used qPCR assays to detect the existence of this pathogen in the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) populations in the Allegheny and Susquehanna River drainages of New York and Pennsylvania. Chytrid is most often tested by using skin swabs, but in this study, tail clips, dorsal skin, blood and eggs were tested as well. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was detected …
Beyond Bivariate Correlations: Three-Block Partial Least Squares Illustrated With Vegetation, Soil, And Topography,
2015
University of Kentucky
Beyond Bivariate Correlations: Three-Block Partial Least Squares Illustrated With Vegetation, Soil, And Topography, Daehyun Kim, Thomas J. Dewitt, César S. B. Costa, John A. Kupfer, Ryan W. Mcewan, J. Anthony Stallins
Biology Faculty Publications
Ecologists, particularly those engaged in biogeomorphic studies, often seek to connect data from three or more domains. Using three-block partial least squares regression, we present a procedure to quantify and define bi-variance and tri-variance of data blocks related to plant communities, their soil parameters, and topography. Bi-variance indicates the total amount of covariation between these three domains taken in pairs, whereas tri-variance refers to the common variance shared by all domains. We characterized relationships among three domains (plant communities, soil properties, topography) for a salt marsh, four coastal dunes, and two temperate forests spanning several regions in the world. We …
Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Ca-Mrsa) Usa300 Perturbs Acquisition Of Lysosomal Hydrolases And Requires Phagosomal Acidification For Survival In A Human Macrophage Cell Line,
2015
University of New England
Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Ca-Mrsa) Usa300 Perturbs Acquisition Of Lysosomal Hydrolases And Requires Phagosomal Acidification For Survival In A Human Macrophage Cell Line, Zachary Ronald Tranchemontagne
All Theses And Dissertations
Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strain USA300 is a major cause of invasive drug-resistant skin and soft tissue infections in humans. Although S. aureus is a well-recognized extracellular pathogen, recent reports that USA300 survives inside host macrophages suggest that the intramacrophage environment may be a niche for persistent infection. Intramacrophage survival requires bacteria to avoid destruction in the phagosome; however, mechanisms by which USA300 evades phagosomal defenses are unclear. We examined the fate of the USA300-containing phagosome in human THP-1 macrophages by evaluating phagosomal acidification and maturation, and by testing the impact of phagosomal conditions on bacterial viability. Utilizing confocal …
Coxiella Burnetii And Leishmania Mexicana Residing Within Similar Parasitophorous Vacuoles Elicit Disparate Host Responses,
2015
Portland State University
Coxiella Burnetii And Leishmania Mexicana Residing Within Similar Parasitophorous Vacuoles Elicit Disparate Host Responses, Jess A. Millar, Raquel Valdés, Fenil Kacharia, Scott M. Landfear, Eric D. Cambronne, Rahul Raghavan, Lynn Soong, Emilio Luis Malchiodi
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Coxiella burnetii is a bacterium that thrives in an acidic parasitophorous vacuole (PV) derived from lysosomes. Leishmania mexicana, a eukaryote, has also independently evolved to live in a morphologically similar PV. As Coxiella and Leishmania are highly divergent organisms that cause different diseases, we reasoned that their respective infections would likely elicit distinct host responses despite producing phenotypically similar parasite-containing vacuoles. The objective of this study was to investigate, at the molecular level, the macrophage response to each pathogen. Infection of THP-1 (human monocyte/macrophage) cells with Coxiella and Leishmania elicited disparate host responses. At 5 days post-infection, when …
Regulation Of Vancomycin Resistance And Stress Response By The Msaabcr Operon In Staphylococcus Aureus,
2015
University of Southern Mississippi
Regulation Of Vancomycin Resistance And Stress Response By The Msaabcr Operon In Staphylococcus Aureus, Dhritiman Samanta
Dissertations
Staphylococcus aureus is the predominant cause of public health problems around the world. Vancomycin has been an important antibiotic against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. However, Vancomycin Intermediate S. aureus (VISA) strains have been reported. These strains are characterized by thick cell walls, reduced autolytic rate, reduced PBP4 activity, and increased amount of D-Ala-D-Ala termini in the cell wall. In this study, we show that the msaABCR operon regulates vancomycin resistance in two clinical VISA strains. Deletion of the msaABCR operon in strains Mu50 and HIP6297 resulted in a significant decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for vancomycin. …
Gene Regulation By A Novel Two-Component System Conserved Among Gammaproteobacteria,
2015
Northern Michigan University
Gene Regulation By A Novel Two-Component System Conserved Among Gammaproteobacteria, Kristin M. Jacob
All NMU Master's Theses
Two-component systems are common gene regulatory pathways seen in bacteria. Gene expression is controlled by these systems through a series of phosphorylation events between two proteins, a membrane bound sensor kinase and a cytoplasmic response regulator. Activation of a two-component system can be caused by biological or environmental stimuli, resulting in altered gene expression. A conserved two-component system was recently discovered in entomopathogenic bacteria, including our model organisms Pseudomonas entomophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and is homologous to the recently identified two-component system, CrbRS, in Vibrio cholerae. In V. cholerae CrbRS regulates acetate metabolism and controls virulence. The aim of this …
